Six Months
by WenEdg
Summary: Another short Sam and Andy, post Luke/Jo


**Six Months..**

I don't own Rookie Blue..

_Written in haste but enjoyed by you guys at leisure I hope!_

It had been 6 months since she had last sat here, staring at the posters on the wall, inhaling the antiseptic fumes, jumping every time the swing doors opened, desperate for information and reassurance.

Six months, during which she and broken off her engagement to Luke, had moved into Noelle's sister's flat on a sub let whilst she was out of town for work, had almost bought her own car and finally six months during which her dad had remained sober and they had mended their fractured relationship.

Looking back, much more had happened during those 6 months, and most of it was good, damn good, she reflected. Chris and Gail had moved in together, Dov had a really sweet girlfriend, Ann, who was a nurse, Noelle had started dating the senior detective at the 29th, Traci and Jerry were dancing round getting engaged and Oliver and Zoe were pregnant. You certainly saw all life as a copper!, **and** your friends were more than colleagues – Ollie was right when he said they were family. The past 6 months have proved that to her. Even her relationship with Luke and Jo had become more cordial. They could even share a joke on the job when the situation arose – something she had once thought impossible.

And then of course, there was Sam.

OOOOOOOO

It was what they had planned to do at the start of this weekend – Sam was going with her to a used car lot on the edge of town to scope out a car with her. She'd had her eye on it for a while now, and she kept pestering him to drive past and just look at it on an almost daily basis. Every time they got a call anywhere near, she would plead and sometimes beg him – just a little diversion Sam – to stray into the 29th, where strictly, they had no business, just to look at her little car. It had her name on it she thought – if she could only persuade Sam to take a look under the hood for her...

The little Jeep was bright red with a black roof – just what she figured she would need to get to work in the winter weather. Sam was not at all keen to start with – Why in the hell would she need her own car, when he drove right past her door on his way into the barn and would always pick her up?

'Ok' he'd reluctantly agreed, 'you want your own wheels', but why not go for one of those compact models with all the up to date gadgets and somewhere to put her handbag?

Oh that had not gone down well!

'Sam, since when have you seen me with a handbag?' she had fumed.

'I thought you might want to get a little more lady-like McNally', he'd jumped out of her way before the words could sink in and she could take a very unlady-like swing at him.

'Well I can't see me needing a handbag on the job anytime soon, but I sure spend my time with a dirt-bag of a partner' she jibed back. He'd smiled at that one – 'I'll just let that slide' he said knowing that this was just the start of another day for them, during which they would argue, makeup, and finally when tired, lapse into companionable silence.

OOOOOOO

Why, oh why had she wanted that damn car? She had never felt so wretched in her life before. It was all her fault and she could do nothing but sit here and wait and worry. She was angry at her own uselessness. How could there** not** be anything she could do to help? How much longer before she knew? Was no news, good news? Or were they really taking all this time because the situation was so bad?

She looked at her watch and wondered how much longer before Sam's sister made it here from St Catherine's. When they had asked about Sam's family, she gave them all the information that she had – he had a sister, this was her address, no they had never met, only ever spoken on the phone. No, she didn't work, they could contact her at her home…..she wanted to go phone Sarah herself, but was at a loss as to what to say, other than the obvious and it was also evident that could not answer any of the questions that Sarah was likely to ask of her. They only shared that sort of thing with family. She shook her head angrily – despite what Ollie had said, about the shift being family, when the chips were really down, it was true family that counted.

OOOOOOOO

Since the split with Luke, she and Sam had slipped into an easy friendship. The pressure was off and she felt stable and fit, and able to pour all of herself into her job. She was determined to make a difference, to be a good copper, the best, and to stop her previous run of bad luck and propensity to screw up any given situation.

She had taken note of what Sam had taught her, listening and watching him more now than she had when he was her TO. She wanted him to be proud of her. She tried to toughen up, took boxing lessons with him, had experienced death in its many forms, dealt with the anguish and despair of others and maintained a professional distance from too many situations, that just a few months ago would have sucked her in and bled her dry. She was learning and she was improving, she knew it, Best knew it and that is why she felt so guilty now. How could she have misread the situation so badly?

She looked at the wall clock and compared it to her wrist watch – perhaps she should phone Best? Phone Jerry? Hell what should she do? Sam would know, he would know exactly what to do..

'Keep it together McNally' and she would feel his hand on her shoulder or her arm and making

On hell! She was getting angry with herself again now. She hadn't cried yet, that sort of behaviour was in her past. She thought back to their conversation some weeks ago, when she had decided to toughen up.

OOOOOOOOO

'So what brought this on then McNally?' he asked. 'Boxing lessons? Hand to hand combat practice?' 'You training for some extra job as a bouncer on your off duty?' He'd laughed at her, but holding her head high and giving him her best steely glare, she'd told him.

'I'm no good to you, weeping and shaking whenever we hit a situation, so teach me, _**Officer**_Swarek, show me how to be tough and show me how to live with it'.

Since then, they had approached situations differently. He still kept a wary eye on her, but he let her lead more often, let her deal with the crisis which every day brought. He let her grow and develop and he was proud of her, how she handled herself out in the field. It was only in the quiet of the locker room, where they held their after duty 'conferences', that she sometimes let the mask slip and he saw how deeply the troubles of the day had wounded her.

Dead kids, did that to you – even he had a tough time, living with that, but he taught her what he knew, how to push it out of your mind, how to deal with it and not have it haunt you. He was most pleased to see that she had a rein on it, kept up the professionalism externally, but not at the expense of losing who she was, not letting go of the caring side of her nature.

OOOOOOOOO

He was helping her chose a car and she was helping him decorate his kitchen – she had passed the store on her way to get her hair cut one afternoon, The blue and yellow blinds were just going up in the window display. She looked at the remnants of paint in her hair, then back at the blinds, thinking they were perfect for his newly painted sunny yellow kitchen.

Without asking him, she had bought them, along with some place mats and napkins that matched. It was only when she was outside his house that she faltered. Should she really be buying him house wares, especially to her own taste, and then expecting him to live with them? She was just about to leave when she saw the familiar truck heading towards her. Too late, she was busted.

'Doing a little retail therapy McNally?' he'd asked?

'I, um, just wondered what..' she was hot and bothered and trying not to bite her lip.

Curious as to what had caused her sudden discomfort, Sam had nosed in the bags and seeing the blinds, pretty much guessed they were for him.

'Thought Noelle's sister had a kitchen, **with** blinds?' he joked 'Unless of course you've broken them and come round here to ask Mr Awesome Handyman to put replacements up?' He gave her his best dimpled smile, while she laughed and thrust the bags at him.

'I bought you these, which I chose myself and if you really hate them, the receipts in the bag, you can, take them back. Gotta go now…' she gabbled and prepared to make her escape.

'Impossible to put blinds up with only one pair of hands' he quipped. 'Why in the hell would I want to take 'em back? I haven't even seen what you got me yet.'

He had steered her by the arm, along the path and on to the front porch of his house. They had spent the afternoon putting the blinds up, laughing and drinking beer on his deck. It had been perfect and when he'd driven her home, she had given him a sweet almost sister-like kiss on the cheek as she'd thanked him. Not wanting the day to end, he offered to fetch them Chinese which she readily accepted.

OOOOOOOOO

It was as simple as that – they had finally gotten there – just last weekend! **JUST LAST** **WEEKEND** her insides screamed. The Chinese had lead to an evening watching the game on TV, slumped together, tangled on the sofa, which in turn had lead to the best ever night of her life. Waking up next to him in the morning, had been a dream come true. He'd said it was the same for him. They were just so easy together. The perfect fit. Finally life was working out for both of them.

Things had changed, but only in the best possible way. For some reason, both delayed saying anything about the change in their relationship to any of their friends, it was too early, too fragile, too precious to share. So every night for the past five, they had gone with their respective friends to The Penny, played the usual game of throwing each other glances, whilst keeping their distance, and at the end of the night, he would give her the usual ride home, only now, getting in the truck was followed by 'Your place or mine McNally?'

They had never known such happiness, such contentment and fulfilment. Sam was even making noises about her leaving some of her stuff over at his, so that she didn't have to keep going back to the flat in the morning before work. He had told her, only this morning, that he had made space in his wardrobe for her, and that the whole of the oak dresser in the bedroom was hers for the taking. They were just going to slip over, look at this car, then go marketing together to get some food in for the weekend, which Sam had boldly told her, meant that they could spend the whole weekend in bed if they wanted.

It made all the difference to both of them; - being loved. Knowing that she could touch him whenever she pleased, -( perhaps not in the 15th, or during parade though), knowing that whenever she caught him looking at her, he was thinking what she was thinking – counting down the hours until they could be alone together. It was almost too perfect. Hell, it was **too** perfect and now she was being punished, they were being punished and it was all so unfair!

OOOOOOOOO

Putting her head in her hands, she at last gave in and started to cry. The lift doors opened, and she looked up as the female image of Sam stepped out. Behind her was a tall beefy looking guy wearing a badge on his belt which clearly got him where he needed to be in that hospital, on that day. Leaping to her feet, but not knowing what to say, she found herself enveloped in a hug.

'Oh Andy, not how I quite thought we might meet, but I am so glad that you got them to give me a call. Do you know any more? Who do we have to see? Can we ask?...' Sarah was running off at the mouth, still in shock, but also spoiling for a fight if anyone was anything less than cooperative.

'Hi, I'm Brian, Sam told us about you, he's talked of little else over the past year actually. Will they tell you anything about his condition?'. The huge man threw her a lopsided grin, his arm firmly on his wife's shoulders as she scanned the landing looking for any sign of life behind the nurses counter.

Andy hung her head and mumbled into her hands ' Couldn't get anything out of anyone – family only you see'. 'Well hell, we'll see about that' Brian said.

Pulling himself up to his full 6 feet 2, Brian strode off to the nurses station, Sarah following in his wake. After a short discussion with what turned out to be Sam's doctor, Brian stuck his head round the corner of the landing and called Andy's name.

The doctor took the three of them into a side room and explained that the gunshot had been a through and through – Brian being a cop, explained to Sarah, that this meant that Sammie had not been that badly damaged. What had caused the problem was Sam hitting his head on the car on the way down…

OOOOOOOOO

They had been taking a closer look at the little red Jeep when Andy had heard what she thought was a car back firing repeatedly just up the street. It was Sam that had first realised that the car was part of a drive-by shooting and they were directly in the path of the bullets! Pushing Andy to the ground he got winged by a ricochet that entered his shoulder – as he crumpled, his head struck the side of the Jeep and he went down and sunk into blackness.

All Andy could remember after hearing the sirens approaching was that there was **SO** much blood. How could anyone bleed that much and still be alive? She cradled Sam in her arms, as he slipped in and out of consciousness. Getting in the ambulance with him she caught sight of Noelle's partner, Detective Jenkins. He waved her away once she had given him the make and model of the car involved. Told her, he would catch up with her at the hospital later.

OOOOOOOOO

The doctor reassured them that Sam was on the mend. That head injuries bleed a good deal, - that they looked worse than they really were – that as soon as Sam had spent the mandatory 48 hours in observation, that they could take him home and that within weeks, he would regain complete mobility in his shoulder – but only if he rested it for the first couple of weeks when the tissue and muscles were healing. The bump on the head, didn't show any adverse signs in X ray, so apart from getting a few stitches things were pretty ok really. He stipulated that as a head injury was involved, that Sam should not be left alone for a few days – 'just in case' he added.

OOOOOOOOO

Not knowing quite what to do next, Andy started to head for the door – she really should call Best and let him know that Sam would be out of action for a while…

'Hey, you do want to see him don't you?' asked Sarah.

'Isn't it family only for now?' Andy asked.

'Well I feel sure he would want to see his live-in nurse' quipped Brian. 'Besides, you were getting an invite to stay with us on your next long weekend off – I suppose Sammie didn't quite get around to telling you that?' he added.

'Hell, he even asked Sarah for their Grandmother's ring which she had been keeping for him since he inherited it' – 'I think it's a pretty safe bet that before very long, we were gonna be family anyway..'

'Brian!' exclaimed Sarah 'for a detective, you're not much at keeping secrets, especially when they're not even yours to keep!'

'Hey! - Keep the noise down to a dull roar please, some of us are trying to sleep' said a voice from the next room. The doctor having left the door open, had inadvertently given Sam a ring-side seat for the conversation between his sister, brother in law and his 'intended'.

Stepping into the room, they saw Sam, his head and shoulder bandaged, sitting up in bed rubbing his eyes.

'Not much of a proposal McNally, but do you think after knowing me almost a year, that you could bare to spend the rest of your life with a guy who will always wear a battle scar from a jeep?' he joked, pointing at the bandage on his head.

'Say yes quickly Andy, before the drugs wear off' said Sarah. 'Your future niece is itching to be a bridesmaid and I have a wonderful cake recipe that Brian's mother gave me' She laughed at her own joke and took a playful swing at her husband.

Andy cocked her head on one side and pretended to ponder, whilst inside her heart was doing a rumba. She was both shocked and startled, but those emotions were running a close second to her relief that Sam was ok and smiling across at her working his dimples to the max – even if he did look completely ridiculous wearing a bandage.

'I think we could pass on the red Jeep for now – don't much like 'em with bullet holes in' said Andy. 'And yes, since you obviously now need someone to drive you around in your truck until your truly better – I guess I could that, I might even consider marrying you – provided that Mrs Swarek gets to chose her own car after the wedding'.

_Well that's it for me. This was something that came into my head whilst I was sitting in traffic. The first useful traffic jam that I have ever experienced! Hope you liked it – please review. Wend_


End file.
